Broken after three months: warranty, proof and what to keep
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
If a product breaks within a year, the burden of proof lies with the seller. What to keep, how to write a report that will be processed quickly, and how to pack a return so it arrives intact.
A lamp that no longer turns on after ten weeks. A bag with loose stitching. A device that suddenly stops working after three months. The first thing most people think is: do I still have the receipt? And the second: is this my own fault?
Much unnecessary hassle arises around these two questions – among buyers who think they are too late, and among sellers who don't quite know what to offer. Below, you'll find what legally applies in the Netherlands, what you should ideally keep, and how to write a complaint so that it's processed quickly.
What the law says about a product that breaks
In the Netherlands, as a consumer, you are entitled to a product that performs as expected. If it breaks sooner than is reasonable, you can contact the seller – even without a separate warranty card.
The timing of the malfunction is important. According to ACM ConsuWijzer: if a product breaks within one year of purchase, the law assumes that the product was already faulty at the time of purchase. The seller must then prove that this is not the case. If it breaks after that first year, the tables turn: you then have to make a convincing case that the product was defective and that you used it normally. This is explained on the page Burden of proof for a broken product of ACM ConsuWijzer, the consumer information service of the Authority for Consumers & Markets.
What exactly you can get – repair, replacement, or a refund – depends on the product and the situation. For the exact rules and exceptions, it is best to consult the information from ACM ConsuWijzer on warranty; we are not legal advisors.
What to keep – and what you can safely throw away
You don't need to fill your entire house with empty boxes. But a few things make the difference between a complaint resolved in one email and a three-week discussion.
The proof of purchase. An order confirmation in your inbox also counts. Create a separate folder for it, so you don't have to search later.
The packaging of fragile or expensive items, at least for the first few months. If the product needs to be returned, the original box is often the safest packaging available.
Loose parts and manuals. Adapters, keys, extra screws. These are precisely the items requested back with a return.
Photos of the defect, taken as soon as you see it – with the date included.
What you can clean up: the void fill, blister packaging, and promotional flyers. You save space by folding boxes flat and storing them in one large container. A moving box of 480x430x330 mm (50 liters) for €3.50 is perfect for this: everything together, in one place, and easy to find.
How to write a complaint that works
A complaint that gets picked up quickly contains four things, and not much more:
What you bought and when. Order number or date, item name.
What exactly is happening. Not "it's not working", but "it switches off after about two minutes and then only turns on again after an hour".
When it started and how often you had used the product.
What you want. Repair, replacement, or refund – state your preference, so the seller doesn't have to guess.
Add one or two photos and keep the tone professional. Sellers respond faster to a concrete description than to anger, simply because they can act on it immediately.
Does it need to be returned? How to ensure it arrives intact
If you return a product, you are responsible for packaging that will survive the journey. An item that gets damaged during transit complicates the handling – then the discussion suddenly shifts to transit damage instead of the original defect.
Keep your proof of postage. Without a receipt, you cannot prove that you actually returned the package.
Photograph the contents just before sealing. That's thirty seconds of work and it answers the question "was everything included?" in one go.
And if you are the seller yourself
For small webshops and stores, the other side of the same story applies. A complaint that is handled properly costs you one product; a complaint that lingers costs you the customer AND the review. Three things that shorten the process:
Record what you send. Photos of fragile orders and a VOID security seal (60 pieces) for €9.95 on the seam make it clear afterwards what was sent and whether the box was opened during transit.
Ask for the same four points listed above. A fixed form or standard question saves three back-and-forth emails.
Make returning easy. Anyone who has to look for a box will postpone it – and only report it when they are irritated.
A defective product is annoying, but it doesn't have to become a drawn-out affair. Keep your receipt, describe the problem specifically, and package a return as if it were a new order.
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